The Weeknd has teamed up with Swedish House Mafia to drop a fittingly cinematic soundtrack contribution for Avatar: The Way of Water
The Weeknd has released Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength), a soundtrack single that features in the new blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water. The four-minute track was written by The Weeknd himself, with electronic trio Swedish House Mafia serving as the producer. For his part, classical musician Simon Franglen — who contributed to the first Avatar score — handled the track’s composition. Listen to Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) below.
The Weeknd first teased his involvement in the Avatar sequel earlier this month. The soundtrack entry sees the R&B singer croon over epic production, with choral vocal arrangements assisting his lyrics of “walking this path long enough”. Nothing Is Lost is fittingly cinematic, with an ascendant chorus that matches the blockbuster proportions of the film itself. The track was first previewed as part of the Way of Water trailer in early December.
It marks The Weeknd’s latest venture into film soundtracks, having earned a chart-topping status for his Fifty Shades of Grey contribution, Earned It, in 2014. Elsewhere, he featured on the soundtrack of 2018’s Black Panther, with his track Pray For Me sitting alongside fellow contributions from SZA, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake and Schoolboy Q, among others. Franglen, meanwhile, has composed scores for blockbusters like The Bodyguard and Moulin Rouge!.
Returning to the director’s chair some 13 years after the 2009 original, James Cameron’s Avatar sequel hit Australian cinemas yesterday (December 15). The sequel’s returning cast includes actors Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Sigourney Weaver, who reprise their roles as Jake/Sully, Neytiri and Grace Augustine respectively. Elsewhere, the film welcomes new castmates Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco and Kate Winslet, the last of whom starred in fellow Cameron epic Titanic in 1997.
Filming has already begun on Avatar’s threequel, which is expected to premiere sometime in 2024. The third and fourth films, meanwhile, are projected for theatrical release in 2026 and 2028, respectively. Watch the trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water above, and scroll down to peep the sneak peek teaser released earlier this year. The film premieres in Australia on December 15, 2022.
